Maine's Southern Coast: Ogunquit

The word Ogunquit means "beautiful place by the sea," and that's certainly an appropriate name for this lovely town.  Full of shops, restaurants, and hotels, Ogunquit also has a wonderful beach and a gorgeous oceanside walking path. Perhaps the biggest draw in town is Perkin's Cove, a pretty inlet surrounded by gorgeous homes and quaint shops.  A small drawbridge connects the two sides of the cove and crosses over the harbor which is full of a variety of boats. Here's a bit of what we enjoyed in Ogunquit.

Ogunquit has a beautiful stretch of beach!

Pretty homes dot the town, especially around Perkin's Cove and along the coastline.

Natural beauty and plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors

The Marginal Way, a one-mile coastline trail, begins at Perkin's Cove.

Perkin's Cove is a great place to book a cruise or tour or just to
watch the boats sail into and out of the harbor.

The footbridge offers lovely views and is a popular place for photos.

Perkin's Cove is also a fun place to shop.

Several good restaurants are located in Perkin's Cove, and good lobster is easy to find.

Don't miss the quirky birdhouses on the Harbor Master's office

and the side of the foot bridge

Maine's Southern Coast: Dogs on the Beach

If you're a dog lover, as I am, you will enjoy visiting Gooch's Beach just to dog watch.  Dogs are allowed on the beach before 9 am and after 5 pm in the summer and at all times during the rest of the year.  The best part about dog watching on Gooch's Beach?  Every dog I saw was happy! 

For more photos of dogs enjoying Gooch's Beach, see the book Gooch's Pooches:  The Dogs of Kennebunk Beach by Robert Dennis and Annette Hall Quezada.  Great photos of some adorable dogs!

Maine's Southern Coast: Gooch's Beach

About 100 yards from our rental house is a beautiful little stretch of sand called Gooch's Beach.  On Beach Street just about a mile east of downtown Kennebunkport, Gooch's Beach is a wide crescent-shaped space that is seems to be well-loved by the locals.  Lots of runners, dog walkers, and surfers use this beach, but it never seemed crowded.  The Kennebunk River meets the Atlantic Ocean at one end of the beach while a peninsula of jagged rocks juts out into the ocean at the other end.  The sea wall, Beach Street, and pretty homes wrap around the rest of the beach.  Clean, unspoiled, and completely free of commercialization, Gooch's Beach is simply a beach--and that's what I loved about it. My husband and I made our way to Gooch's every day and enjoyed all it had to offer no matter what the weather was.

Kennebunkport & the river sit at this end of the beach.  The huge white building is the grand Colony Resort.

Homes on the far side of Beach Street and the sea wall

A taste of Maine's dramatic rocky coast

Watch the seagulls

Or watch the ships on the ocean

Enjoy the dogs playing in the surf

Surf--or enjoy watching the surfers

That's former First Lady, Barbara Bush, getting into her car after walking her dogs on Gooch's Beach.
And, yes, that's a local surfer changing at the car right beside her!

See what the sea brings to the shore

Leave your mark

Just enjoy all the moods of Maine